The structure of H-2Kb and Kbm8 complexed to a herpes simplex virus determinant: Evidence for a conformational switch that governs T cell repertoire selection and viral resistance

Abstract

Polymorphism within the MHC not only affects peptide specificity but also has a critical influence on the T cell repertoire; for example, the CD8 T cell response toward an immunodominant HSV glycoprotein B peptide is more diverse and of higher avidity in H-2bm8 compared with H-2b mice. We have examined the basis for the selection of these distinct antiviral T cell repertoires by comparing the high-resolution structures of Kb and Kbm8, in complex with cognate peptide Ag. Although Kb and kbm8 differ by four residues within the Ag-binding cleft, the most striking difference in the two structures was the disparate conformation adopted by the shared residue, Arg62. The altered dynamics of Arg 62,..